By Aduragbemi Omiyale
The immediate past Director of Google West Africa, Ms Juliet Ehimuan, has been appointed to the board of directors of Zenith Bank Plc.
Ms Ehimuan, who is also the founder and chief executive of Beyond Limits, will serve on the board of the tier-1 financial institution as a non-executive director.
A statement from the lender on Tuesday disclosed that the appointment of Ms Ehimuan, which has been confirmed by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), will take effect from August 29, 2023.
In a statement to the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited, Zenith Bank said the appointee has over 25 years of experience, primarily in technology, oil & gas, and new media industries across Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
She was described as is a leading voice on innovation, transformation, and leadership and is expected to bring her experience to the firm for its growth.
The appointee, who holds board positions across multiple industries, including finance, FMCG, oil & gas, education and social enterprises, has a Doctoral degree in Business from Walden University in Minneapolis.
She also boasts an Executive MBA from the London Business School, a Postgraduate degree in Computer Science from the University of Cambridge, and a BSc in Computer Engineering (1st class honours) from the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife.
She is a recipient of the London Business School Global Women’s Scholarship, and at Cambridge University, she was awarded Selwyn College Scholar and Malaysian Commonwealth Scholar. She is a Fellow of the Cambridge Commonwealth Society.
She was awarded IT Personality of the Year in 2012 by the Nigeria Computer Society, Digital Personality of the Year 2016 by Marketing World, and received a 2015 Titans of Technology award from Technology Africa. She is a published Author, Executive Coach, and a member of the Forbes Coaches’ Council.
The new Zenith Bank director was named by Forbes as one of the top 20 power women in Africa, by the London Business School as one of 30 people changing the world, and as one of the Most Influential People of African Descent (MIPAD). She was also featured in the BBC Africa Power Women series and on CNN Innovate Africa.
During her remarkable 12-year tenure at Google, she played a pivotal role in expanding the company’s presence in Nigeria and the wider West Africa region.
She championed initiatives to increase digital access, local content development, skills acquisition, entrepreneurial growth, and innovation and fostered strategic partnerships with leading private sector and government institutions.
Modupe Gbadeyanka